Congratulations Sanjay...

... West Valley's newest private pilot!

WINGS Safety Seminar @ SQL - Speaker Patti Andrews CFII

Safe Operating Practices at Non-Towered Airports

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 , starting at 7:00 pm

In this seminar, WVFC CFII Patti Andrews will cover:
- traffic pattern procedure and techniques
- proper communication
- collision avoidance
- VFR and IFR operations
- flying alongside helicopters, gliders, parachutists
- courtesy tips

To sign up

http://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=37132&caller=/SPANS/events/EventList.aspx

Front row seats reserved for Students of Patti?

Norcal Approach vs Norcal Departure?

A couple of weeks ago I got to go on a tour of the TRACON facility in Sacramento that we all know as NORCAL. It was a really fascinating tour and very educational. The tour started with a briefing/presentation that lasted almost two hours where we could ask all sorts of questions. The briefing was handled by Victoria, a trainer and a controller. Following the briefing we went into the area where the controllers work and we listened in and watched the controller “work” their planes at one of the stations. I got to sit with a controller directing traffic into Oakland from the Sunol area. It was interesting to see all the various planes in the area as well as you could see the planes at PAO as they were flying around the pattern. I even spotted N35583, a C172SP from SQL, as It was flying into Hayward. One question that was asked is when do you call NORCAL Departure vs. Approach? The short answer is it really doesn’t matter, NORCAL Approach is the best option to use. The official answer is that the only time to use NORCAL "Departure" is on the initial call out of a towered airport when tower tells you to contact NORCAL departure i.e. before you have been radar identified departing from a towered airport.

Congratulations Joe!

Congratulations to Joe - a new private pilot as of this afteroon and moving to Hawaii day after tomorrow. Now if only I can find his solo shirt!

Presidential TFR on 2/18

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_7062.html

The Gold Standard

Herb put together some good checklists to guide his preparation in the final stages of his private pilot training, as he was getting ready to meet with his examiner. His preparation was memorably excellent - right up there with Julia Singleton's private pilot prep in Summer '09 - and so... although every applicant needs to put together his or her own lists and reminders as they get ready for their own checkride, I want to encourage Herb to post his prep notes here on the blog for the benefit of future almost-private-pilots. I didn't have the blog yet when Julia took her checkride and I don't know if she has postable notes, but if so it would be great to get those posted as well.

Thanks guys!

It too can happen....

After many trials and tribulations
Several false starts on scheduling
a mad rush to a finish line that got pushed back months
A switch to a different examiner
delays due to WX
I took my check ride today and heard the words we all want to hear
"Herb, you are a private pilot"
well at least the last part of that sentence is what we all want to hear

Thanks to many but I have a special place in my heart for our instructor that has seen me through this entire adventure. I can't thank Patti enough.
Patti ... i love you... thanks for all the support!

For those that are interested, I have compiled some notes and will finish them off with some final thoughts from the actual check ride.

Faria ... I am legal if you still are game...
Herb

"Monumental" Australian cyclone

They are saying this is the largest storm ever to hit the country.